A Victim of Circumstance
by Elemental-Zer0
Summary: Manfred's problems have stalked him all the way to Midnight, Texas and Hightower is not a patient man. Trying to be morally correct, Manfred tries to solve his problems on his own but soon finds out the odds are stacked against him rather unfairly. How do the Midnighters react to one of their own being taken? I'm not sure either - this plot is under development so who knows?
1. Prologue

**A Victim of Circumstance**

 **Disclaimer:** _This is a Fan-fiction story of the Book and TV series; Midnight, Texas and is in no way affiliated with the actual series. All characters and other materials related to the book and show that are used are not intended to infringe on any Copyrights. Elemental-Zer0 takes sole responsibility for any mistakes or offence that may be taken but truly not meant._

 _However, this story plot and all Characters not affiliated with the show are Copyright © 2010 to Elemental-Zer0._

 **Author's Note** : So, I've been receiving a few reviews that want more of a story than just oneshots… I'll give it a go here but I can't guarantee a stable plot yet nor can I guarantee reliable updates. We'll see how things go for now.

* * *

 **Prologue…**

Grandma had always said to keep ahead of the game. Know the outcome before it happened. Now to do that you either had to be a psychic or a cheater. While Grandma Xylda was a psychic, she was also a cheater too. She cheated and swindled money from the unsuspecting fools that gladly paid for her services and she had no quarrels about doing it either.

Manfred had a slightly lesser opinion of swindling others out of their money. He was by no means a saint; he did have to eat somehow and the only living he knew to make was the same trade his Grandma had taught him. But he didn't always go as far as the old woman used to. Intuitively, he knew it would only lead to trouble, and he sometimes hated how right he could be.

Hightower was the name of a high positioned criminal lord who did not appreciate being swindled out of money he didn't think was worth the value it would cost him. Grandma Xylda had apparently been hired to rid him of some evil presence that wasn't actually present. Hightower had no idea and, being the superstitious man that he was, he'd hired Grandma Xylda to do an exorcism. She'd made a song and dance for him and declared the place free of evil spirits and he'd paid her handsomely. She was half way across the state when it turned out that the evil presence had been a string of pranks when the prankster had come forward. It wasn't long after the first dozen phone calls and stalkers that his Grandma has passed away due to throat cancer of all things. This had left Manfred alone, scared and not completely trained in the arts his Grandma had been teaching him. It wasn't too long after he'd inherited his Grandma's wheels that the first threatening phone call made its way to him instead.

Ever the morally righteous fool, Manfred had agreed to pay back the angry customer a full refund of his late Grandma's wrongful charges. However, Hightower had added interest to the refund and the price hanging over Manfred's head had doubled – he was now on a crime syndicates "Wanted" list. Manfred knew he was never going to earn enough to payback the price Hightower wanted, so he paid what he could, and ran.

Just like his Grandma had taught him.

Only, Hightower wasn't one to give up. He followed Manfred all the way to Texas and was closing in fast. Dallas wasn't too far from Midnight, a place Grandma Xylda had promised him he'd be safe. But Grandma Xylda was a pathological liar and Manfred really should not have been surprised to find a warning on his rented door when he came home from meeting with Bobo about an additional few months renting agreement.

When he saw the note, the floor almost disappeared from underneath his feet.

They'd found him.

"Damnit Grandma!" He cursed under his breath as he ripped the note off the door and rushed inside.

"What'd I do now?" Came her gravelly dead drawl from kitchenette. There she was, fiddling with her gypsy pipe as she always did when she had been alive, acting as innocent as a new born baby.

"You said I'd be safe in Midnight." He countered back irritably, noticeably upset but still unable to raise his voice at his Grandma. "They're here!" Manfred huffed out in exasperation flecked with a little panic. And he had just started to imagine living in Midnight for a while longer too.

"I said yer'd be safe, I didn't say they wouldn't find ya." Grandma Xylda threw back at him with her trademark dry wit and grin. "And ya still are! Safe that is! Ya got friends here now. Let them help ya out." She advised but Manfred just couldn't bring himself to ask for help a second time around. These people did not deserve to be put upon by his problems. Madonna had said it from the start, all he'd brought with him was trouble.

"My problems should stay my problems Grandma, no one else should suffer because of my baggage." Manfred replied as he started packing his things again. He'd barely managed to unpack anyway so it was a quick affair. "And that's a lesson you never seemed interested in learning either." He added over his shoulder as he quickly dumped his stuff into his camper-truck and left the key to the house on the doorstep under the welcome mat.

If the note was on his door, they were surely watching the place which meant he was probably already in a lot of trouble but he wasn't going to be irresponsible and drag his new friends into his dramatic issues. He'd lead his stalkers away from Midnight and hopefully try to solve this problem without too much damage. Though Manfred knew his chances of getting out of this alive were going to be slim, he just hoped that Hightower would be honourable and leave his friends alone.

He was only sixteen and half miles out of town before the anticlimactic chase began, and it was only another half mile further when the hoodlums had successfully managed to knock him off the road. His camper-truck was no match in speed or structural integrity in comparison to their reinforced four-by-fours. Manfred had known it was no use running to escape, he'd known his truck was no match; that he'd be caught up to eventually. But that still didn't stop the sheer panic that struck his nervous system alight when he saw them pull out onto the road behind him. It didn't stop him trying to get away. And it didn't stop the dread and gut dropping fear that gripped him when they rammed into him, or the utter assuredness that he was going to die right then when his truck came off the road and landed in a ditch behind a thick set of bushes.

The world had paused for a blessed few seconds. He couldn't hear their screeching brakes or roaring engines. He couldn't see their black bandana'd figures racing toward his drivers' side door to take him to their lord and master. He didn't feel the blood trickling down his forehead or the gash on his temple. He didn't feel the broken bone in his right wrist or how his breathing had started rasping due to the fractured ribs he'd gotten from the impact. It was just blissfully quiet and still.

And then his door was ripped open. The noise of his engine still squealing hit him loudly, the pain in his chest and wrist brought tears to his eyes and his head swam as though it was floating on a different plane of existence. He looked dazedly at the man who'd opened his door and stared straight into the eyes of a very determined and angry man, then saw the fist coming too fast toward his face. It was too late to duck.

Manfred was out in seconds.


	2. Chapter 1

**A Victim of Circumstance**

 **Disclaimer:** _This is a Fan-fiction story of the Book and TV series; Midnight, Texas and is in no way affiliated with the actual series. All characters and other materials related to the book and show that are used are not intended to infringe on any Copyrights. Elemental-Zer0 takes sole responsibility for any mistakes or offence that may be taken but truly not meant._

 _However, this story plot and all Characters not affiliated with the show are Copyright © 2017 to Elemental-Zer0._

 **Author's Note** : Chapter One is here now. I really do feel the need to warn you guys again, I can't update regularly; my job doesn't allow for it. I beg for your patience with this.

This is set before episode 5. Just for reference.

* * *

 **Chapter One…**

Fiji Cavanaugh woke up that morning with a very bad feeling hanging over her head. It was heavy and foreboding which gave away the severity of the omen but it wasn't clingy or overbearing in a suffocating way which told her that she wasn't directly the target of said omen.

This usually meant that someone she knew and held closely to her was in trouble. Instantly her mind went to Bobo. After her recent kidnapping and his ordeal with the _Sons of Lucifer_ , she was in absolutely no mood to wait and see like she usually would and as soon as she could, she was out the door and knocking at the Pawn shop's back door. It was early and she knew Bobo wouldn't be in the shop front at this hour, he'd only just be in the shop's kitchen getting himself his second mug of coffee to wake himself up. Olivia would still be on shift for at least another hour.

Bobo opened the door with a surprised look at finding his love interest at the back door. He started to smile, believing she had forgiven him but it faltered when he saw the look of alarm in her eyes.

"Fij, what's wrong?" He asked as he ushered Fiji in to the kitchen and pulled a chair out for her. She sat down and grabbed onto his hands as he sat opposite her. The action took him a little by surprise considering that up until now, he had thought she thought the worst of him. He stayed quiet though in favour of finding out what had riled his favourite witch up so much.

"Bobo, promise me you'll tell me the truth when I ask you if you are in trouble. I know your past with the _Sons of Lucifer_ are probably not the only thing you're hidin' from but I don't care about your shady past. You _will_ tell me if you're in trouble though, won't you?!" It wasn't a question. Her tone of voice brokered no argument and Bobo found himself nodding despite his intentions not to get her involved in any more of his shady business again.

" _Are_ you in trouble?" She asked again, forcefully and unwilling to lose his eye contact. Bobo was a little confused and albeit concerned for the way Fiji was acting but he put his sincere hat on and told her truthfully that as far as he was aware, he wasn't in any trouble save for the minor panic attack her actions were inducing. Her relief was visible and the tension broke considerably.

"I'm sorry Bobo, I just woke up to a bad omen and I just know it has to do with someone I know and care about. And with everything that's been goin' on lately I just had to be sure." She confessed. Bobo gave her a heart-melting smile and gently reassured her that if he were in trouble, he'd be sure to go to her for help if he felt he needed it. That didn't exactly lift Fiji's spirits much but he misdirected her attention in favour of ignoring his martyr complex.

"So, we know the omen ain't pointin' at me or you." He began, "Who else d'ya care for in Midnight? Well, ya'know; 'sides from me and the others." The question felt like a searching one but Fiji brushed it aside, her priority was to find out who was in trouble and help do something about it. "And," Bobo continued, "Are ya sure it's someone here? Could it be a family member that lives somewhere else?" He asked, it was an intelligent question but Fiji quickly shook her head.

"No if it were someone far away the feeling would be tighter; like an elastic band bein' stretched 'cross the distance. This is a loose feelin'; bad, black an' hoverin' but loose. It's someone here in Midnight." Fiji described. Bobo could only watch in awe at this woman who could feel such things and just know what it meant. Bobo struggled on a normal day to figure out if his gut was telling him he was hungry or needed a toilet.

"Well, then I reckon we should call in on the usual suspects and see who fits the feelin' as it were." Bobo suggested logically.

"Yeah, that's what I was gonna to do after I made sure it wasn't you." Fiji agreed, "I was gonna ask Lem if we could have everyone meet here in a few minutes." She added, but then froze at Bobo's amused frown. "What's so funny?" She asked, genuinely lost.

"You gonna let go of my hands before we go see Lem' and Liv' or after?" He asked with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. And with a flush of embarrassment Fiji suddenly realised she was still holding Bobo's hands from her first outburst at him. Instantly she released his hands and stood up slowly, breathing in to centre herself and her emotions. Bobo frowned at the loss of contact and her suddenly closed demeaner. It was made quite apparent from her behaviour that she hadn't quite forgiven him just yet but it was a start. He was in for a long journey on this one. He sighed, frustrated with himself. "I'm sorry Fij'." He said slowly, his self-hate clearly unspoken and he hung his head in his hands. "I can't cope with not knowin' if ya hate me or whatever." He admitted.

Fiji shifted, awkwardly. "I don't _hate_ you Bobo." She started and slowly sat across from him again. "I jus', I thought I had you figured out in my head. You were this dream boy in my thoughts and then I find out you're involved with those white supremacists..." She started.

"Was." Bobo interrupted quickly. "I broke away from them soon as I realised what they were doin'. I thought by takin' their weapons I could prevent them from doin' worse damage, their plans Fij'…" He paused to collect himself, "I couldn't just walk away without some way of preventin' it." He admitted and stared at her with such a lost intensity that Fiji couldn't help but automatically forgive him a little. She knew she would but it was easy to hold on to the anger.

"Well, your heart was in the right place at least." She allowed and gave him a small sympathetic smile. She was still holding back her full affections though. The incident with the _Sons of Lucifer_ had brought back some unpleasant memories of her past and the people she'd hurt. She realised in that moment in the cargo hold, that she couldn't let her guard down now, like she had been doing.

Bobo could see she was still hesitating to become more intimate with him but he'd take the small proverbial peace offering she had extended. Baby steps were important here in this situation, he didn't want to scare her off.

"Thank you." He said sincerely. And it was a wide and open ranged thank you that encompassed a lot of things he was thankful for. And Fiji saw it.

"Now, how about that meeting then?" Bobo asked, changing the subject to ease the tension. Now was not the time to poke around for more information. Fiji's small smile turned serious and they stood to make their way to the front of the store.

* * *

Olivia was a little surprised to see Bobo earlier than usual and even more surprised when she spotted Fiji following him. Then her surprise turned to concern when she noticed Fiji's worried frown.

"Liv, d'ya think Lem'll still be up?" Bobo asked before she could question the worrisome aura the two had brought with them. She thought for a moment but then shook her head. Her three-day contract in the next city over had finished earlier than she'd expected and as a result, she'd made it home early. Lemuel had been a little off when she'd found him at the desk. He'd complained of a headache and a nauseous feeling. She'd asked if it was possible for a vampire to get sick and he'd responded with a tired sigh. "It would appear so." Was all he'd said before she'd sent him to bed and took over the counter for him. She explained all this to Bobo and Fiji and to her surprise they demanded to see him.

"Why? What's the urgency?" Olivia asked, a little surprised by their urgent demeanour.

"Fij had a bad omen this mornin' and it was pointin' at one of us." Bobo began, "And now we learn that Lem is sick, we're thinkin' it might be pointin' at him." Olivia felt stunned for a moment but Fiji quickly added her thoughts to the conversation too.

"Olivia, I have a really bad feelin' right now. Can we please see Lem? Even if it's nothing to worry about, 'cause if it isn't Lem then someone else is in trouble and needs our help." She said earnestly.

Truth be told, Olivia had been sold the second they'd asked but force of habit had her questioning everything before deciding what she believed. She quickly stood and moved to flip the sign on the Pawn shop door to "Closed" before leading the way to hers and Lemuel's apartment. She paused outside the door and turned to her two companions.

"He'll be asleep so let me go in and wake him up, wait here until I come get you." She instructed to which both Bobo and Fiji nodded their acquiescence. She turned back to the apartment door, unlocked it, and went inside. Making sure to close the door softly behind her. Bobo and Fiji stood in the hallway in a half awkward silence. Neither one wanting to bring up their unfinished business just yet.

A few minutes later and they were sat in the lavishly gothic styled lounge with a grumpy Vampire staring tiredly at them. Fiji quickly explained with the same amount of fervour, what she had felt that morning and what it meant. After hearing her explanation Lemuel softened his gaze somewhat. It was endearing to think that their resident witch would worry so much about her brood of Midnighters and that she considered him part of that brood even though his years far outnumbered hers by a long shot.

"I'm touched that you feel so protective of me Fiji but I can assure you I am fine. I realised as I lay in bed what it was that had caused my illbeing." Lemuel admitted, avoiding a glare from Olivia who hadn't yet been privy to this revelation. "My ailment was only the result of a silver trader last night. The man selling it was a little clumsy and managed to spill silver dust over me. I hadn't thought anything of it until I lay in bed just now. I think I might have inhaled some of the dust as it spilled. As it happens, I feel fine now." He added, hoping to the young witch's mind to ease but to his alarm, she just grew more agitated. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"I think we have a problem." Fiji started, "If it's not you, then someone else is in trouble. This feelin's not goin' away." She explained.

"Looks like someone still needs our help." Bobo said, leaning forward in his seat, and taking his phone from his back pocket. "I'll text around, arrange a meeting if it's all right with you Lem?" He asked quickly. Lemuel nodded, the weight of the situation was only just starting to show itself.

"I'll go put the coffee on." Olivia said as she set about the kitchen area.

Little did any of them realise how grave the situation would become.

* * *

When he eventually regained consciousness, Manfred was quite decidedly not a fan of mid-speed car chases in a campervan. He couldn't exactly call it a highspeed chase; he'd have needed to have reached a high speed for that to count. But even so, the subsequent crash hadn't been kind to his body.

It was dark behind his eyelids, so he felt safe enough to try and open his eyes without being blinded. When he did, he found himself inside a small barred off area in what appeared to be a basement. The area he'd been locked in was under a set of concrete stairs that he assumed lead to the ground floor of wherever he'd been taken. The floor was hard and cold, concreted with pits and stains from activities he'd rather not care to imagine. His head hurt and his right wrist throbbed painfully in time with his rapidly beating heart. His chest felt tight and it hurt to breathe too. If he hadn't been in so much pain, he'd have felt embarrassed to have received so many injuries on such a pathetic car chase, however therein lied the catch.

Moving seemed like a bad idea but he tried anyway. He shifted his feet from underneath him and heard a distinct metal clank underneath the aches and pains he'd sustained from the crash. His left foot stopped short with a ring of pressure around his ankle. He didn't have to look to know that it was a shackle attached to the wall. It was Iron. The only metal that seemed to be repellent to psychic resonance. Not that Manfred was even remotely powerful enough to overpower anything psychically. And even if he was, what would he do? Seeing and communing with dead people wasn't exactly conducive to escaping a locked basement.

Hightower had gone to some rather unnecessary extreme lengths to lock him down. And Manfred was rather afraid of what that meant for him. It wasn't long before the door above him opened with the rattle of several locks. Heavy footsteps thunked above him as his captor made his way to Manfred's little cell.

Manfred had a quick-witted excuse on his tongue but when he got a look at his captor his tongue suddenly stopped working.

"You're not Hightower." He said stupidly at the strange man standing before him. Manfred would later blame the concussion.

The man before him was a well-dressed business man. Older in age but spry enough if his toned physique was anything to judge by. He was tall, broad shouldered and lean; a rather odd combination that made for an interesting appearance. He was dark haired but greying just above the ears. And his eyes were ice blue, watching with vivid interest.

"No." He said in a thick foreign accent that Manfred couldn't place. "I am not he." He confirmed amusedly. "But you are Manfred Bernardo, a psychic gypsy whom Mr Hightower has entrusted into my care." The man gave a cold smile and Manfred wondered how Hightower expected him to pay up when he wasn't earning money.

"Look, I'm sorry its taking so long to get the money together but I can't earn anything if you're keeping me prisoner." He tried to reason but the man just gave a cackle of laughter, stopping Manfred from continuing.

"You still believe this is about money?" He asked amusedly as he knelt to Manfred's crouched height. "What your grandmother promised the boss was more than anything money could buy." This mystified Manfred and his tormentor could see it clearly. "You have no idea what I am talking about?" He asked frowning curiously and studying Manfred closely. "I can see it." Manfred remained silent. What could he say? As far as he knew, Xylda owed Hightower money from a con-gone-wrong and Hightower wanted it back. That's what Xylda had told him. But now Manfred was beginning to wonder if Xylda had left some vital plot point out of the drama she'd left to him. He wouldn't have put it past her, she was a pathological liar.

"Interesting." Was all the man said before standing again and leaving the basement, leaving a trail of clicks and bolts in his wake. Manfred was alone and in the dark, and in more ways than one.


	3. Chapter 2

Midnight, Texas Fanfiction

 **A Victim of Circumstance**

 **Disclaimer:** _This is a Fan-fiction story of the Book and TV series; Midnight, Texas and is in no way affiliated with the actual series. All characters and other materials related to the book and show that are used are not intended to infringe on any Copyrights. Elemental-Zer0 takes sole responsibility for any mistakes or offence that may be taken but truly not meant._

 _However, this story plot and all Characters not affiliated with the show are Copyright © 2017 to Elemental-Zer0._

 **Author's Note** : Apologies, its been a while I know. A lot has happened, all you need to know is that I was busy with real life and its stupid dramas. Hopefully I'm back for a while as my muse is eating me alive with this one. Can't update regularly so don't hold your breath yet.

Sorry it's a short chapter but I had to get something published.

This is set before episode 5. Just for reference.

* * *

 **Chapter Two…**

It hadn't taken long to figure out that their wayward psychic was missing. When he hadn't answered his cell phone Fiji, Bobo, and Olivia had gone to Manfred's house. The camper-truck was missing and when Bobo had opened the door to the house, they could see he'd left in a hurry.

"Well he was running from something." Olivia quipped, not all that surprised the man had skipped town without saying anything.

"Yeah but without even a goodbye?" Bobo returned sourly, obviously feeling a little stung. He'd thought with the whole Aubrey thing; he and Manfred had come to something akin to friendship. The psychic's testimony had literally bailed him out of jail. And it had only been the night before when they'd discussed and agreed on the psychic renting the place for a few more months. "Why would he just up and run? He knows we could have helped him, right?" He asked rhetorically, not really expecting a real answer.

"He obviously didn't think we could." Olivia said, as she prodded an old dish towel from the kitchen counter. "What do we care anyway? The less trouble for us, the better, I say." She added as she made her way back to the front door, clearly done with the place.

"Well now that's a little heartless." Bobo responded, "After all he did to save us, Lem especially from those vampires. He risked a lot for all of us and he didn't have to." He pointed out and Olivia slowed to a stop before the door, grudgingly admitting he was right without saying so.

"So, what?" She turned on him and stared expectantly at the man. "You wanna go on a manhunt for him? He could be miles away for all we know." She had a good point, Bobo had to admit. If Manfred had taken off during the night, he could be anywhere by now. It was a large area to search and supernatural residents on their side or not, it'd still be impossible to cover all of it. And if he was still moving, that search area was getting bigger with every second that passed.

"No, he's close." Fiji interrupted the two and they both turned to look at her. What they saw stopped any further arguments in their throats. She was stood in the middle of the main floor with an old shirt gripped tightly in her hands, presumably one of Manfred's. There was an electric aura about her and the air fizzed with energy. Her hair fluttered as though gravity had lessened around her shoulders. "The omen is still a loose feeling. He's somewhere nearby. Not in Midnight but still close." She added and then dropped the energy she'd been holding. The difference was instant and relieving. Olivia shivered, it had always spooked her how Fiji could hold such power and still be as innocent and oblivious as she was. However, she brushed it to one side like she always did and focussed on what the witch had said. ' _Near to Midnight but not in town…_ ' She mused and then looked to Bobo as they both came to the same conclusion.

"Davy?" The two said at the same time. It was obvious if they really thought about it. Fiji nodded at them, the feeling she felt confirming their guess.

"And he needs our help." She added, "It felt like he was in pain. I don't think he got very far from his past before it caught him." She knew Bobo would do whatever she asked of him, so she turned her gaze to Olivia, pleading her to help. "He wouldn't hesitate to help us if the circumstances were reversed." She said earnestly.

As if she'd had to ask; Olivia was quite sure that if the situation called for it, Fiji could force them to do anything she wanted them to do, but the fact that the young witch was asking without even acknowledging her own power over them had its own endearment. Olivia already knew she was going to help find the psychic even before Fiji had asked. She still owed him for saving Lem.

She relented without verbal comment, but Fiji knew she'd agreed if the relief in the witch's eyes were anything to go on. Olivia just knew this was going to be a pain in the ass job though. It always was when supernaturals were involved.

"You said he was in pain? You can tune in to him?" Bobo asked, and Olivia wondered if the man was feeling a hint of jealousy but quickly buried the thought when he continued speaking. "Can you talk with him? Find out where he is?" He asked. Olivia turned expectantly to the witch, wondering the same thing now that Bobo had mentioned it.

"It's not that simple. I only got impressions and feelings." Fiji tried to explain. "He's confused and scared which is understandable. I mean, why would he run away if he wasn't?" She babbled but caught herself at their expectant faces. "Sorry." She recomposed herself quickly before continuing. "There was a pain in my chest, my wrist and my head." She said, "And since I'm fine, it's got to be his pain I felt through the connection." She added unnecessarily but felt she had to say something to fill the silence. It was becoming unnerving having to explain how her magic worked to her friends.

"Ok but can you send something back through that connection?" Bobo asked, feeling that Fiji had distracted herself from the question he'd asked not two seconds ago. And Olivia wondered why she'd thought she should be afraid of her friend.

"Well, its not a case of whether I can send something to him, I know I can but whether he'll receive it and recognise it for what it is, is a different question altogether. I can't just send a telepathic message and have him instantly know what I said. It's feeling based. I can feel his feelings but if I send my feelings and he's never experienced a message in that manner, he'll just assume the feelings I'm sending are his own jumbled mess of feelings and not get the message." She explained hoping that she didn't sound like a nonsensical idiot.

But it did make sense, to a degree, and both Bobo and Olivia slumped a little. Fiji felt the weight of expectation fall on her shoulders even though she knew neither Olivia nor Bobo would knowingly place that weight on her. She rapidly went through her mental book of spells to come up with something they could move forward with. A location spell could work, she had some of Manfred's hair locked away in her cupboard, taken from him when he'd fainted after channelling Aubrey that first week he'd arrived. Her intuition had told her to do it and she trusted it like nothing else. But a location spell was long winded and heavy on ingredients, some of which she needed to restock first before she could pull one off and those ingredients weren't exactly easy to come by, or cheap for that matter. She had some in her greenhouse, but they were still too young to use and wouldn't yield any results before they burned out. But she was struggling to come up with anything else that could work.

"Could you boost the connection somehow, maybe?" Bobo asked and both women looked at him in confusion. "I saw it in a movie once, a psychic took something to make himself stronger, so he could reach his target. He sent his target his own vision and wrote a note on a piece of paper and the target saw it in a dream." He explained vaguely, but the idea was fairly sound. "'course it was a b-rated movie and they don't always use fact or even regular fiction." He backtracked, "Sorry, forget I said anything." He added, second guessing his train of thought.

"No. You could be on to something." Fiji said suddenly, interrupting the last of the pawn shop owner's sentence and then proceeded to march out of the front door and across the street to her own abode. Bobo looked to Olivia as if to ask what had just happened, but she gave a shrug and followed the witch to her kitchen.

Bobo sighed, not really understanding much of anything his favourite witch had said or done but he was still spellbound by her nonetheless. He followed them across the street and hoped that he could follow whatever explanation Fiji had for them. He also hoped that his new friend wasn't in too much trouble but somehow, he just knew that that was wishful-thinking. In the past few weeks, he'd come to realise one thing about Manfred Bernardo, the man never did anything by halves.

* * *

Manfred had lost all track of time in his dark subterranean prison. So, he couldn't tell how much time had passed since his unknown captor had left with his discovery of how little Manfred knew about the actual deal Xylda and Hightower had agreed to. He knew that trying to call Xylda's spirit to him was going to be impossible with the iron shackle around his ankle, and that was assuming he could summon her away from the camper-truck that she had been tethered to, but he tried anyway and wasn't surprised at his lack of progress.

It felt like hours had passed before the man was back again, clunking down the stairs, locks opening and closing with every advancement until he was stood before Manfred's makeshift cell with that chilling grin still firmly in place.

"We begin tomorrow." He said in that strange thick accent. "You will be prepared for the ceremony tonight. My associates will tell you what to do." He gestured to the shadows and two shadowed figures stepped forward. How long had they been there? Manfred wondered. "They are trained to kill if you disobey. While that would be a shame and set our plans back a few years, you are still dispensable. I would recommend not angering or testing my patience." The man said as he took several steps back toward the bottom of the steps. "Obey and behave and you'll find this a less painful experience." He said over his shoulder as he disappeared onto the stairs.

Manfred surged forward to the bars and called out; "Wait! What was the deal?! What did my grandma agree to?!" He called after him, but all he received was a cold chuckle and fist to his chest from one of the shadowed figures. He fell back into the cell with a cry of pain and surprise, his bruised ribs protesting painfully. He was even more confused now and that only gave way to his fears growing. What were they planning to do with him? What was this ceremony for? And what was all the preparing going to involve? He wasn't sure what was worse; not knowing, or knowing. Neither could be a good thing.


	4. Chapter 3

Midnight, Texas Fanfiction

 **A Victim of Circumstance**

 **Disclaimer:** _This is a Fan-fiction story of the Book and TV series; Midnight, Texas and is in no way affiliated with the actual series. All characters and other materials related to the book and show that are used are not intended to infringe on any Copyrights. Elemental-Zer0 takes sole responsibility for any mistakes or offence that may be taken but truly not meant._

 _However, this story plot and all Characters not affiliated with the show are Copyright © 2017 to Elemental-Zer0._

 **Author's Note** : So, the waiting time was a little long but not my longest. Again, I can only apologise for the amount of time between updates. I'm currently in a really difficult situation in my real life; I was forced to move out of my old shared house and on top of that my job contract came to an unexpected end due to the budgets being cut. Thankfully my dad from a few counties down, came to the rescue and I moved into his front room. I've had to move county and find a job (which thankfully I did get one, small mercies) all before xmas. On top of that, I finally found a place of my own and now I'm changing jobs again. Hopefully for the better now.

Sorry rant over. I've just been really stressed as late is all. It's also why I haven't been able to focus on my writing. But we somehow push past these things…

Anyway. Chapter three – enjoy!

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 **Chapter Three**

Manfred had come to the conclusion that he'd been cursed. Why else would this be happening to him?

Currently he was being frog-marched out of his little makeshift cell and down a corridor he hadn't seen before. The angle had been hidden in shadows from his vantage point under the stairs. His ankles had been shackled together, with iron of course, and with half a meter of solid chain for him to walk awkwardly with. His hands were cuffed behind his back and his wrist and ribs protested that movement loudly. His two shadows were steering him through different doors and halls and before long, Manfred couldn't even tell you which way was up. They passed a metal door with several locks, bolts and runes littered all over the place. Some of them he could feel vibrating from where he stood. Magic was definitely part of the mechanism. Manfred shivered, hoping to never find out what was behind that door, but his attention was drawn away when they turned a corner and came to a stop outside an ordinary, plain looking door. It was a little more comforting than the Fort-Knox barricade they'd left in the previous hallway, but not by much.

The door opened, and he was herded inside. The room was lit up like a sterile hospital room. Inside was a toilet, a sink, a hose pipe with a shower head that looked terrifying, and a metal chair that had been bolted to the tiled floor. Panic shot through his gut and Manfred flinched then tried to run back out the door. Shadow #1 was too quick though and had pinched a nerve in the psychic's shoulder that turned his legs to jelly while Shadow #2 shut the door with a loud bang.

Between the two of them, the shadows managed to lift Manfred from the floor and secure him to the metal chair. Manfred's heartbeat fluttered in his veins as his imagination let itself fly.

"Look guys, I can clean myself up. I don't need to be restrained like this. Just give me a few minutes and I'll do it myself." He tried. "please…" he added, not above begging for his privacy and the leisure of doing this himself.

Neither shadow spoke as they approached the psychic and began removing his clothes. Manfred squeezed his eyes shut and braced himself for what could only be the worst experience he has ever faced to date.

* * *

Night had fallen, and Lemuel had had a chance to search the area with his superior speed and eyesight. Joe had mentioned something about checking the highway to Davy and both had found the camper-van half in a ditch and looking rather dented and damaged. There had also been blood on the steering wheel and Lemuel's eyes had dilated in both anger and instinct. He sniffed the air hoping to catch the scent of anything else that could be used as a means of identifying who had attacked and taken their psychic. As expected, he hadn't gotten much. Just a hint of blueberries and cinnamon, a scent that followed Joe around like a lost puppy. There was a faint scent of wilder-bush and lavender, but it wasn't enough to lead them anywhere.

Reluctantly, they had returned to Midnight with heavy news.

"So, what do we do now?" Olivia asked. The group had gathered in the Pawn shop in hopes of compiling their thoughts and ideas into a way of finding their stolen psychic.

"It's too late to go poking around in Davy now." Bobo said with a depressed sigh. Joe patted the man's shoulder in a sympathetic gesture and added;

"And we don't really know where to start looking if we did go." Chuy sidled up to Joe and took the Angel's hand for his own. It was a comfort seeking move and Joe gripped his partner's hand tightly, reassuring the young man that things would work out. Somehow.

"Fiji, how are you doing with your spell?" Lemuel asked gently, "Were you able to work something out?" He added. Fiji looked up from her lap then and it seemed to take her a few seconds to understand the question.

"Oh, uh its going well. I need to let it sit for a few hours before I can use it though." She updated but the group had noticed the slight tremor in her voice. It was Lemuel who called her on it.

"Fiji, is the spell dangerous?" He asked. She hesitated.

"Fij'?" Bobo prompted as he stood from his seat. She closed her eyes.

"Its not dangerous for anyone outside the spell." She hedged. Olivia frowned as she stood up.

"But it is dangerous to those inside it." She guessed and dared Fiji to tell her a lie. "How is it dangerous?" She asked. "What's the risk here?" She sat down again on a different ledge that was closer to the witch. She was purposely riling Fiji up to get her to stumble over any lies she may have been thinking about. Knowing the witch the way she did, Olivia knew that she'd sacrifice herself and her well being to help someone she cared about. Family, lovers, and especially friends.

"Is Manfred in danger too?" Creek added from her perch opposite the witch. Her big brown eyes were wide in concern and no one could blame her for worrying.

"No, Manfred should be fine and it's not a big risk. I don't even know if it'll affect me like the warning says." Fiji stammered out. Olivia's interrogation technique was working.

"So, what _is_ the risk?" Olivia asked calmly and pointedly. She felt Lemuel give her a warning growl, but Olivia knew Fiji, she knew when she'd clam up and how to get the information out of her. And she knew Fiji would forgive her for pushing her like this too… Eventually.

Fiji gave her a scowl that told the assassin that she knew what Olivia was doing and did not currently appreciate it. Then Fiji sighed and relented. "Its black magic. It's a sacrificial spell to temporarily boost one's power to link with another in order to see and feel through their senses." Fiji explained. "The spell I've been using to connect with Manfred only allows me to feel his feelings, its like a whisper from a long way down the hall. I get the scarcest of information and my mind fills in the blanks predictively." She sat down against the edge of a small display piece and continued. "This black magic spell requires the sacrifice of life energy – it's not picky, a chicken or a rat will do as long as something dies to feed me the power it'll do the job. That's kind of the scary part, in that it's so easy to do and reliable." She gave a shudder at the thought and then continued. "With that power, I can use it to hone the spell, make it stronger like putting up a microphone and some headphones to isolate that whisper in the long hall way and instead of guessing, I'll be able to make out exactly what's being said." She explained.

"So instead of just guessing he's in Davy, you'll know for sure?" Bobo asked, slowly cottoning on. Fiji gave him a knowing smile.

"I'd know his exact location Bobo." She said with confidence. "And once I have established the connection, I won't need the black magic spell to keep it going. I'll be able to connect more easily with Manfred and keep a track on his movements." She added.

"How does that work?" Joe asked, not at all comfortable with the idea of one of his friends using a dark arcane to save another missing friend. "And you still haven't told us what the risk is." He pointed out patiently.

"Think of it like a frequency or something. I'll have it memorised, so I won't need to keep boosting the signal to find it." Fiji tried. "I'm not really all that good at explaining theses kind of things." She admitted sheepishly.

"So, sorta like a cell phone?" Bobo guessed. "You gotta use a phonebook to find his number. The phonebook being this black magic stuff. And once you got his number, its stored and you're good to go." He explained. "Or something like that?" He added self-consciously.

"That's exactly it!" Fiji beamed at him. "Like cell phone number and a phonebook." Bobo beamed back. He felt like he was starting to get a handle on these metaphors.

"And the price for using this phonebook?" Joe asked, insistently. He wasn't about to let it slide to the background.

"I get that the life force is to activate it, but the cost of using the service is unclear Fiji." Lemuel added to Joe's comment. Fiji's smile vanished, and she looked down at her shoes.

"Addiction." She admitted. The room was silent for a few minutes.

"Addiction?" Olivia queried with a confused frown. Fiji nodded.

"Black magic is extremely addictive. Every time you use it, you become more inclined to use it again." She informed them. "There's no cure for it either. Your reasoning is unhinged, it no longer becomes a last resort. You start looking for reasons to use it. Justifying yourself as you go. The only way to beat it is to never touch it." She hugged her arms around herself as if to protect herself from the harsh rebuttal she was sure to come. The group stayed quiet for a moment. Weighing their conscience against the options available.

"Is there no other way to help find Manfred?" Emilio asked quietly. Bobo agreed with the Rev's idea of an alternative, the thought of watching his favourite witch spiral down a path of dangerous addiction was not an appealing one. If they could find another way he'd rather they try it first.

"The police will take too long to investigate." Olivia pointed out. "And they're too narrow minded and ill-equipped to know what to do if it comes to a magical show down." She added. It was true, the police weren't exactly _in-the-know_ on the supernatural side of things. And as yet, the group was still unsure who or what had taken their missing friend. Chances were very likely that the supernatural was involved. It was a rare thing for any trouble to do with Midnight to not be supernatural related. And Manfred was a psychic running from something.

"Can any of your contacts help?" Lemuel asked her, referring to her 'work-colleagues' she had ties with. Olivia's profession was quite the industry and as such, she'd developed quite the colleague network over recent years. There were four that were close enough to have been able to see or hear something about a kidnapping. The others were too far away to have any impact or news.

"I've already put the word out. Not a blip as yet." She answered, her voice becoming tight with frustration. She'd made sure her whole network was alert though, in case the kidnappers had slipped the net and pushed further away from Midnight. It wasn't impossible to imagine.

"What if you got close enough to him, Fij'? Would you need the black spell then?" Bobo asked, desperate to find another solution. If the others noticed they were too polite to comment, or their sentiments echoed his own. Fiji frowned a little.

"Well, it could help but…" She paused and gave Creek a long and sympathetic look. Creek gave a weak smile back which faded almost as soon as it ghosted her lips. She knew that Fiji was on her side and wanted nothing more that act as quickly as they could to bring her boyfriend home. "Do we really have time to trawl all through Davy just on the hopes that we might stumble upon his location?" She asked, and the group understood. Davy wasn't a huge town, but it was still too big for one person to cover the whole place in one day. "And if they're holding him with iron or if he's near running water, there's a big chance I'll miss him completely. Magic energy is disrupted by those things. We could be right on top of him and not know it." She pointed out. "I know you're trying to save me from having to use this black spell, and I appreciate the sentiment. I really do." She paused to let that sink in. "But with what I could sense from him before, it feels like Manfred doesn't have that kind of time. I don't know how else we can help him." She finished, knowing that no one had a better idea.

"What's the personal risk to you Fij'?" Bobo asked out of the blue. Fiji stared at him until she understood his meaning. He was asking if this was the first time she'd used black magic and that if she used it again, how close would she be to loosing herself. She gave him a gentle smile, it was sweet how he seemed to think of her in that way. She could feel herself letting him get close again and she didn't really want to stop it.

"I've used black magic twice before. Only small spells like this one. One was to find a missing girl who it turned out was trapped in a cave under a waterfall a few years after I first got here. And the other was to ward off another witch who had come looking to make trouble. I'm not at risk of losing myself to the dark side for lack of a better term. That sort of thing takes maybe ten or twelve smaller spells or so." She explained. She gave them all a grateful smile. "I'm ok for this one and I want to do everything I can to find our friend." She said. It was a warm feeling when you had friends that cared so much for you and all of the Midnighters who were present at that meeting, felt that warmth and it strengthened their bond as a pseudo family.

Now all they had to do was bring home their missing member.

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 **A/N** : _Sorry its short. Hopefully a more detailed and lengthy chapter will follow. Again, updating will be sporadic. Apologies in advance!_


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